'Raj' outdoor schedule put on hold

First the film���s lead heroine, Priyanka Kothari, fractured her leg.
Now, it���s swine flu that has thrown the outdoor schedule of Raj... The Showman into disarray. Director Prem, the cast, including Puneet Rajkumar and Priyanka, and the crew, were scheduled to fly to Canada to shoot for two pending songs of the film. Rakshita and Puneet���s wife Ashwini were also slated to join them.���We���ve been planning this schedule for months now and were all geared up to leave on May 8. But with the current situation in the US, we���re in a fix. Although I���m not worried about shooting there, I���m concerned about my lead actors Puneet and Priyanka Kothari, and of course, the technicians,��� rues Prem.
The epidemic scare has now forced Prem to come up with an alternative plan: They���re now contemplating South Africa, the Maldives and Hong Kong as back-up locations. ���My aim is to shoot in a location that hasn���t been featured on Kannada celluloid before; no New Zealand, Austria and Switzerland for me - they���re jaded,��� says Prem.
His production managers are constantly in touch with the embassy and their coordinators in Canada to get the latest updates. ���We���re yet to get our visas. So, if the situation gets under control, the authorities have promised to issue our visas at the earliest. Meanwhile, they���ve told us to to think of other options. We���re doing just that,��� the director tells us.